Finding Talent

Is talent still out there? And is talent inherently corruptible?

What is talent?  I don’t want to parse through dictionary definitions, as they never seem to tell the full story of the meaning and background of a word.  With shows like ‘America’s Got Talent,’ and high school “Talent Shows,’ which usually degenerates into mere popularity contests, I feel the word is more overused as ever.

Let’s take Christina Aguilera for instance, her vocals without question are brilliant.  And remembering the hype she had since she was a child and as a young adult, Christina definitely had talent.  Her contribution to Mulan, with her song Reflection still remains one of my favourites.  And through it all, she has been able to keep her life on the level.  Sure she has had a few incidences, including the recent flub at the Super Bowl, but ultimately she remains a real inspiration to children, and though her image has radically changed, she has an undeniable talent.  Below I’ve posted my favourite Aguilera song, Hurt:

However, how can one decisively find and define talent?  And does talent really exist?  It’s something that’s tough to determine, and something that I constantly question within myself.  For example, in high school I performed ‘stand-up comedy’ at the talent show.  I would hardly consider myself to have a knack in comedy, yet there I was, showcasing my talent.  Where is that dividing line between talent and hard work and persistence.  And what if we really do have no talents, should we feel handicapped in life?  I think it’s something we all ask ourselves as we move forward with our lives from high school, college, and university, trying to see where our career lies and if it falls in line with whatever natural talents we have.  But sometimes when you think talent doesn’t exist, something comes out of your way and surprises you.

Recently, in the Globe and Mail, I came across an article about Heather Russell, a 10 year old girl from Toronto who was just signed by Simon Cowell and is currently working with the same music producer who found Lady Gaga.  She’s also credited for writing all of her own songs and music!  No small feat for a local girl.  So I couldn’t help youtubing her right when I got home, so I’ll let you pass your own judgment:

Seeing her reminds me that talent exists.  There’s something natural and raw that transcends hard work and determination.  It reminds me that we should all search ourselves to find that hidden talent, perhaps it’s somewhere we don’t even expect.  As I go on with my life, I refuse to close any doors, and walk through any door that opens itself up for me.  Perhaps it can be perceived as a fickle, carefree attitude.  But no, I believe it takes a real ambitious and risk-taking attitude to follow a new path, and ultimately it’s the only way to discover yourself and consequently that hidden talent.

Just a quick post as Reading Week starts,

Peace and Love 🙂

Beauty is Common..?

Kelly Clarkson is beautiful!

My favourite music consists of Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Rush, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, and all those famous 70s ‘classic rock’ bands, but search a little more in my ipod, and you’ll find the full discography for my girl, Kelly Clarkson. And okay, whenever I tell people this, they think it’s some weird crush or obsession or something but I really do appreciate her work.  My favourite album: My December!  I listen to the entire album at least once a week, and the songs and her voice really speak to me, and somehow have a large impact on my life.  Suffice to say, Kelly Clarkson has become part of my life, and I really respect her for that.

Prateek respects a girl for something other than her looks!? Yes. I know I have a tendency to objectify women like many men, commenting on their body features, deeming them as ‘hot‘ or ‘sexy,’ but come on, I need to have some fun.  Perhaps it’s the hormones, perhaps it’s a sense of prevailing immaturity, but I can attest that in this modern world, we are all conditioned to think this way.  Even in high school, there’s an expected mould the typical masculine guy must conform to, and part of this sadly is demeaning women, judging them based solely on their looks.  You may disagree, but most teenage guys think of women this way, and no one can blame them based on A) the media and B) how some girls bring it upon themselves.

So, let’s take a step back. How would I judge Kelly Clarkson based solely on her looks?  There’s been great attention focused on her physical appearance, specifically her weight.  I like this quote from a recent article, however, “Clarkson doesn’t want to look like your average “pop star” and that is what makes her that much better.  She’s talented, there’s no pretense about her, she is who she is and that is a singer.”  And this is what I respect about Kelly, she knows she is what she is, she even jokes about her weight and takes it all in stride.  And perhaps this is what beauty really is, confidence.  Or maybe not even confidence exactly, but the ability to know you.  This is why I love introspection, because I feel that if I know myself better, I can make a greater impact on the world.  Along the same stretch, I always urge others to look within themselves, heck, this is the entire core of how I give advice.  I’ll say this, a girl who knows who they are is sexy.

But still, I know in the back of every guy’s head is, wouldn’t it be better if she ALSO had a fit body like say Jessica Alba or Angelina Jolie.  How can a great body ever be a detriment?  And this is a simple yet persuasive argument.  Just like Carl Linnaeus, we all have a tendency to want to order the universe.  We all want to judge people, and rank people against others.  I am the first one to claim I am guilty to referring as random people as ‘6s,’ ‘7s’ or ‘8s’ based on their looks.  But who am I to judge, I’m not claiming I possess beauty, I don’t have that 6-pack or ripped biceps many women swoon for, nor do I have the debonair charm that sweeps many girls off their feet.  However, like all of us, perhaps it’s a self-esteem thing, perhaps we’re bored, I don’t know, but the fact is we all judge!

A saying I once read, ironically from a book on how to pick-up woman, asks “beauty is common, what makes you special?”  By asking this to a ‘9‘ or ‘10,’ the trick is you’ll confuse them by instead of complimenting them, the guy puts himself in the power position.  I’ve never had the audacity to try it myself, but instead I contemplated the verity of the question.  Is beauty really common? I asked myself, why can’t beauty be common?  There is no specific guideline to beauty.  In its purest sense, I believe beauty can be defined as anything we find appealing.  Therefore I find Kelly Clarkson appealing.  But I also find calculus, Oreo cookies, and dinosaurs appealing… so are all those things beautiful too?  Why not!? Then what does it mean to be appealing? As humans, we have the freedom in what we choose to like or dislike.  Now suddenly an ugly old woman may be appealing because the story of why she looks that way may be intriguing.  A civil war may have had a complex, yet appealing history.  The most evil dictator may have had crazy, yet oddly engrossing motives.  If we are drawn to these things, (and we can be drawn to anything if we have the mindset for it) they are appealing, and if they are appealing, then under my definition, I can view these things as beautiful.  Ergo, everything is beautiful, and thus beauty is common!

Now if beauty is common, then what’s the purpose of judging others?  What’s the purpose of trying to make ourselves look more appealing or to abide to certain social mores?  The best answer I can come up with is a Darwinian answer.  Judging is part of human nature, we use our intelligence and curiosity to help us make the right choices for survival.  For example, by judging girls, I would stay away from a trashy girls because she might have STDs, which would help save my health.  Or it’s as simple as judging bread if it has mold or not.  We use appearance to help us.  Then for the second question, it’s the entire issue of procreation.  The healthiest specimen breed with the likewise to produce the best offspring with the greatest chance of survival.  Consequently, strong, not overweight, intelligent, upstanding individuals want to make themselves appear that way in hopes of achieving someone with similar attributes.  This is deep-rooted sexual nature.  For example, while I’m killing myself on the abs machine at the gym, I’m thinking by getting in shape more girls will notice me, period. And I know girls think the exact same way when they are spending hours putting on their makeup or assembling their best wardrobe.  We all want to appear our best.

Then why doesn’t Kelly Clarkson work out a bit more, or focus a bit more on her appearance? Because mature, understanding people realize it’s not her looks that make her beautiful, it’s her understanding that looks don’t matter, and the confidence that she knows she really is beautiful.  And this is where beauty becomes minor, and a common and mutual understanding takes precedent.

Judging is part of who we are, we cannot stop that.  But perhaps we should not be so black and white about beauty. Beauty is common.  What I view is most important is the ability for them to make an impact on your life.  It’s not about beauty, that’s irrelevant, it’s about compatibility.  The saying where ‘beauty is in the eye of beholder‘ is often misunderstood.  But the way I understood it is that the right girl, the right guy, the right anything, is someone that can help you be happy, or help you in some positive aspect of your life.  If it is appealing to you, that’s all that matters. 🙂

Peace and love!! 😀